The mystery surrounding Mollie Tibbetts' disappearance lifted Tuesday with word that a body fitting her description had been found in a cornfield, and an undocumented immigrant who allegedly followed her while she jogged near Brooklyn had been charged with her murder.

The news shattered hopes in the small central-Iowa town that the smiling 20-year-old featured on thousands of red-lettered "Missing" posters would somehow be found safe.

Authorities said Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, admitted to following and then confronting the University of Iowa student while she jogged on July 18, but he claimed he blacked out after that.

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Agent Rick Rahn said after his admission, Rivera led law officers to the body, which was hidden beneath cornstalks in a field outside the town of Guernsey. Rivera is being held on a $1 million cash bond.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer Tuesday with the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office on Rivera to make certain he would not be released.

Rahn said at a press conference Tuesday that Rivera had emigrated illegally to the United States and had been in the Brooklyn area for four to seven years.

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Family and friends huddle around Mollie Tibbetts' mother Laura Calderwood (center, in blue), including Tibbetts' brother, Jake Tibbetts (to right of cameraman), as Iowa DCI announces murder charges Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in the Mollie Tibbetts investigation. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn, Iowa. Rodney White/The Register

Rick Rahn, a special agent with the Iowa DCI, delivers a press conference about the discovery of a body found miles away from Brooklyn on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. The body is believed to be that of missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. Bryon Houlgrave/The Register

The public watches as Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

The public watches as Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

The public watches as Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

Family and friends of Mollie Tibbetts fight emotions as they hear details during a press conference in Montezuma on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. Law enforcement have located a body and believe it to be that of missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. Bryon Houlgrave/The Register

Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

Special Agent Rick Rahn with the Iowa DCI holds a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, with information on the finding of remains that could be Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

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Video recordings help solve case

Rahn said the case was solved with the help of video recordings from area security cameras. The recordings showed Tibbetts running by, and also showed a black Chevrolet Malibu repeatedly passing through the area.

Investigators traced the car to Rivera. He admitted he followed the jogger in his car, then parked, got out and started running after her, Rahn said.

"Rivera said he then panicked and got mad and that he then 'blocked' his 'memory,' which is what he does when he gets very upset," according to the document, which was written by a sheriff's deputy.

Rivera told investigators that he later "came to" at an intersection, the deputy wrote. Rivera told officers he then drove into the cornfield and realized he had put the young woman in his trunk, the document says.

He said he opened the trunk and noticed Tibbetts had blood on the side of her head, it states. He said he dragged her into the field, then put her over his shoulder and carried her deeper into the field, where he set her down and covered her with corn stalks, the deputy wrote.

After his admission, Rivera led investigators to the scene, officials said.

Although the identity of the body would not be confirmed until an autopsy was performed Wednesday, authorities said the victim's clothing and appearance, along with Rivera's description of events, made them believe she was Tibbetts.

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Authorities gather in rural Brookllyn after remains were found in the area Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, near Brooklyn, Iowa. Mollie Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

A gravel road at the intersection of 460th Street and Iowa Highway 21 near Brooklyn is closed as law enforcement works a farm property believed to be the place Mollie Tibbetts' body was recovered. Bryon Houlgrave/The Register

Authorities gather in rural Brookllyn after remains were found in the area Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, near Brooklyn, Iowa. Mollie Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

Authorities gather in rural Brookllyn after remains were found in the area Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, near Brooklyn, Iowa. Mollie Tibbetts was last seen July 18, 2018, after going for a jog in Brooklyn. Rodney White/The Register

A gravel road at the intersection of 460th Street and Iowa Highway 21 near Brooklyn is closed as law enforcement works a farm property believed to be the place Mollie Tibbetts' body was recovered. Bryon Houlgrave/The Register

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Suspect 'seemed to be drawn to her'

Reporters asked Rahn if he knew why Rivera committed the crime.

"I can't really speak about the motive," the state investigator replied. "… I can just tell you, it seemed that he followed her and seemed to be drawn to her on that particular day. And for whatever reason, he chose to abduct her."

Rahn wouldn't comment on a possible cause of death. He said Rivera said he'd seen Tibbetts before, but the investigator declined to comment on whether the two knew each other.

Authorities and her family previously said Tibbetts had been caring for dogs at the home of Tibbetts' boyfriend and his brother on the western edge of Brooklyn when she went for an evening jog on July 18. Her longtime boyfriend, Dalton Jack, was out of town.

Her abrupt disappearance drew nationwide attention. Dozens of local, state and federal investigators joined the search, and nearly $400,000 was raised for a reward for information about her whereabouts.

Victim made friends easily

Tibbetts was born in San Francisco. She moved from California to Iowa with her mother and two brothers after her parents separated when she was in the second grade.

Classmates said she made friends easily, making everyone feel welcome. At BGM High School, she sang in the choir, performed in plays, participated on the speech team and ran cross country.

After finishing her freshman year at the UI in May, Tibbetts lived at home with her mother and spent her summer taking three classes. It was her second summer working at UnityPoint Grinnell Regional Medical Center day camp, not far from Brooklyn, helping children with literacy, crafts and other activities.

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Suspect was from Mexico

Cristhian Rivera did not have a criminal record in Iowa before Tuesday, online court records indicate. A Facebook page appearing to belong to him identifies him as a resident of Guerrero, Mexico.

His profile says he attended “Preparatoria 35,” a college in Guerrero, and "Escuela de la Vida," or "School of Life." He had numerous Facebook friends in Iowa, including some from Tama, Marshalltown and Brooklyn.

His last public post on Facebook was a cover photo, uploaded May 26. Less than an hour after Tuesday’s news conference, multiple people had posted angry messages — some were profanity-laced — and at least one called for the death penalty in Iowa.

Townspeople shaken by news

Some Brooklyn residents said Tuesday that the situation shook their town.

Jessica Coronado, an employee at a hair salon in downtown Brooklyn, said before the arrest was announced that parents had been keeping their children closer, not knowing if they could be targets.

She has three children of her own. The oldest, a 14-year-old daughter, knew Tibbetts from a volleyball camp, Coronado said. She’s told her children that she doesn’t want them walking around town alone and that she wants to know where they are at all times.

“And she’s, like, ‘I understand,’ but I don’t think they kind of got it until this morning — she called me, crying (because) they had found her,” Coronado said of her oldest daughter.

Rev. Joyce Proctor at Grace United Methodist Church said she found herself recently praying for Tibbetts’ enemies “to do the right thing and soften their hearts.”

Kevin Winker, director of investigative operations at the Iowa Department of Public Safety, speaks during a news conference about the search for Mollie Tibbetts on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, outside the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma. Luke Nozicka/The Register

Kevin Winker, director of investigative operations at the Iowa Department of Public Safety, speaks during a news conference about the search for Mollie Tibbetts on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, outside the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma. Luke Nozicka/The Register

Mollie Tibbetts' mother, Laura Calderwood, listens as reporters as questions about the search for her daughter on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, outside the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma. FBI Special Agent in Charge Randy Thysse stood next to her. Luke Nozicka/The Register

Kevin Winker, director of investigative operations at the Iowa Department of Public Safety, speaks during a news conference about the search for Mollie Tibbetts on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, outside the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma. Luke Nozicka/The Register

Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, talks to reporters Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, about the investigation into the disappearance of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts during a news conference outside the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma. Luke Nozicka / The Register

Dalton Jack, the boyfriend of Mollie Tibbetts who has been missing from her Brooklyn, Iowa, home for weeks, hands out posters with Mollie's photo at a booth under the grandstand on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, during the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Bryon Houlgrave/The Register

Dalton Jack, the boyfriend of Mollie Tibbetts who has been missing from her Brooklyn, Iowa, home for weeks, hands out posters with Mollie's photo at a booth under the grandstand on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, during the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Bryon Houlgrave/The Register

Mollie Tibbetts' father Rob Tibbetts talks about the search for the missing 20-year-old University of Iowa student during an interview Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Grinnell, Iowa. Rodney White/The Register

Mollie Tibbetts' father Rob Tibbetts(left) and her boyfriend Dalton Jack talk about the search for the missing 20-year-old University of Iowa student during an interview Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Grinnell, Iowa. Rodney White/The Register

Mollie Tibbetts' father Rob Tibbetts(left) and her boyfriend Dalton Jack talk about the search for the missing 20-year-old University of Iowa student during an interview Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Grinnell, Iowa. Rodney White/The Register

Kevin Winker, Director of investigative operations at the Iowa Department of Public Safety, speaks to the media during a news conference discussing updates in the search for missing 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, outside of the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

Kevin Winker, Director of investigative operations at the Iowa Department of Public Safety, speaks to the media during a news conference discussing updates in the search for missing 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, outside of the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

Friends and family of Mollie Tibbetts walk into the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office before a news conference to discuss updates in the search for the missing 20-year-old on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Montezuma. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

Local and national media and members of the community gather outside the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office during a news conference to discuss updates in the search for missing 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Montezuma. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

Friends and family of Mollie Tibbetts wear shirts with information about the search for her to a news conference to discuss updates in the search for the missing 20-year-old on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, outside of the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

Poweshiek County Sheriff Tom Kriegel speaks to the media during a news conference to discuss updates in the search for missing 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, outside of the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

A poster with information about Mollie Tibbetts, a missing 20-year-old University of Iowa student, hangs in the window on a business in downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, in eastern Iowa. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

A poster with information about Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student who went missing last week, hangs in the window on a business in downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, in eastern Iowa. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

Car magnets printed by Live Now Designers in Brooklyn, Iowa, pictured on July 22, 2018. Community members continue to search for Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old Iowan who was last seen on July 18, 2018. Matthew Leimkuehler/The Register

“We prayed for her enemy because you’re always supposed to pray for your enemies to release her — and they did that, but it’s just not the way anybody wanted it,” Proctor said.

Proctor didn't know Tibbetts personally, but said she’s heard Tibbetts “was a wonderful young lady.” She thinks some people in town are having trouble believing their community might not be as safe as they thought.

“I told the ladies at our prayer group this morning that if it’s not safe in Brooklyn, it’s not safe anywhere,” she said. “And I think that’s been a hard thing to realize for a lot of people here.”

Proctor has changed the service she'd planned for Sunday, she said. She’s going to talk about Jesus feeling pain when people hurt each other, and why people are allowed to commit evil acts.

“When we hurt, God cries too and is sorrowful — and it’s because he gives everyone free will — that evil remains in the world. And what other people do affects everybody sometimes,” she said.